SALVATION

John 10:22-38
It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah.
23 He was at the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade.
24 The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is what I do in the name of my Father.
26 But you don't believe me because you are not part of my flock.
27 My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me,
29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me.
30 The Father and I are one."
31 Once again the Jewish leaders picked up stones to kill him.
32 Jesus said, "At my Father's direction I have done many things to help the people. For which one of these good deeds are you killing me?"
33 They replied, "Not for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, have made yourself God."
34 Jesus replied, "It is written in your own law that God said to certain leaders of the people, 'I say, you are gods!'
35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people, who received God's message, were called 'gods,'
36 why do you call it blasphemy when the Holy One who was sent into the world by the Father says, 'I am the Son of God'?
37 Don't believe me unless I carry out my Father's work.
38 But if I do his work, believe in what I have done, even if you don't believe me. Then you will realize that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father." (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION)

Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

WHAT IS SALVATION?

Strong's Definition:

G4991

so-tay-ree'-ah

Feminine of a derivative of G4990 as (properly abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally): - deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.

Thayer Definition:

1) deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation
  1a) deliverance from the molestation of enemies
  1b) in an ethical sense, that which concludes to the souls safety or salvation
  1b1) of Messianic salvation

2) salvation as the present possession of all true Christians

3) future salvation, the sum of benefits and blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated and eternal kingdom of God.

Part of Speech: noun feminine

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: feminine of a derivative of G4990 as (properly, abstract) noun

Citing in TDNT: 7:965, 1132

(1) The believer has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin
Luke 7:50; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Ephesians 2:5,8; 2 Timothy 1:9
and is safe.

(2) the believer is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin
Romans 6:14; Philippians 1:19; 2:12,13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:2; Galatians 2:19,20; 2 Corinthians 3:18.

(3) The believer is to be saved in the sense of entire conformity to Christ.
Romans 13:11; Hebrews 10:36; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 3:2
Salvation is by grace through faith, is a free gift, and wholly without works ;
Romans 3:27,28; 4:1-8 ; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8.
The divine order is: first salvation, then works; Ephesians 2:9,10; Titus 3:5-8.


(Rom 5:6) For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

(Rom 5:7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

(Rom 5:8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

(Rom 5:9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

(Rom 5:10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

(Rom 5:11) And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

(Rom 5:12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

(Rom 5:13)(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

(Rom 5:14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

(Rom 5:15) But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

(Rom 5:16) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

(Rom 5:17) For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

(Rom 5:18) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

(Rom 5:19) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

(Rom 5:20) Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

(Rom 5:21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.(KJV)

Romans 10:13
- For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Whosoever--The expression is emphatic, "Everyone whosoever" shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved--(Joel 2:32); quoted also by Peter, in his great Pentecostal sermon (Acts 2:21), with evident application to Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

IS THERE A PARTICULAR PRAYER
WE MUST RECITE TO BE SAVED?
NO!

John 3:16-21
3 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Romans 10:9-10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

The so called "Sinner's Prayer" is not what we read in Gospel tracts or a certain order of verses with lead a person to accept and say they agree with. The various means people go about sincerely expressing their true faith that grants us salvation through Jesus Christ are recorded in the verses above.
Many Christians when witnessing make use of what is referred to as the Romans Road. It is a series of verses in the Book of Romans that states all of humanity is lost, worthy of condemnation, and that it is faith in and confession of Jesus that saves us from the condemnation of our sin nature.

MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF GOD'S GIFT TO ME
OF HIS SALVATION

The old deacon who was the leader of our youth group knew Jesus Christ. He didn't know the so called "sinners prayer." He was patient and explained to each of us Who Jesus is and why He died for us. He made it understandable to us by telling a story. He said."A boy was in the middle of the street and a car was about to hit and kill him. Just at the last second, the only man able to reach the boy in time pushed the boy out of certain death but in doing so, the man was killed by the car. What did that man do for the boy?" Several of us stated the same thing but just in different words. Some said "He saved the boy." Others said "He sacrificed himself to save a boy he didn't have to."

He read Romans 10:9-10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

In his wisdom, the old deacon gave us an example of needing to be saved, of the only one who could save us, and the value of the man's sacrifice. He simply said to us, "If you will call upon the name of Jesus, you will be saved." I will give you the time to do that now if you really believe Jesus pushed you out of the way of eternal death and you will believe that He did."

I don't even remember praying at all. In my mind, heart, and soul, I believed I was a sinner in need of being saved and I confessed with a quite whisper that Jesus is indeed the Son of God who "pushed me out of the way of the death I deserved.

From that day forward, 45 years ago, I have never doubted that I was and I am saved. You are free to think I am not born again because I didn't kneel at an altar, I didn't repeat a prayer worded for me by others, nor did I stand before the congregation and give a testimony in the hearing of all.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS
BECOMING A CHRISTIAN

Many people never have another person to tell them how to be saved. They are / were convicted or convinced by the Holy Spirit that they needed a Savior simply by reading the Bible. From the very living Word of God they placed their sincere faith in Jesus Christ. He washed them in His blood and made them His children. The would eventually tell others of their salvation.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Salvation is by grace through faith in the substutionary death of Jesus Christ. Believing in or upon Him in our heart (inner man) and confessing that faith to God grants to us God's forgiveness, and wraps us in the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. This can and is done in prayer and without prayer. God does not look upon the outer man, He sees our heart. If a man or woman were mute (had no voice) would they be lost if they believed within their heart and inn their thoughts confessed to God that Jesus is their Lord? That is a ridiculous thought. Of course God hears their heart.

The Only Way The Thief On The Cross Knew To How To Express His Faith
In Jesus Is Recorded For Us Below.

(Luk 23:32) And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

(Luk 23:33) And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

(Luk 23:34) Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

(Luk 23:35) And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

(Luk 23:36) And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

(Luk 23:37) And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

(Luk 23:38) And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

(Luk 23:39) And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

(Luk 23:40) But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

(Luk 23:41) And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

(Luk 23:42) And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

(Luk 23:43) And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

His faith was enough to be accepted by Jesus Himself. Who Are We To Judge The Means Others Have Used Of Placing True Faith In Jesus!